Sentry Page Protection
highway in the sun
PAGES 41-47
START POINT: “A few weeks later, on the site of the road. LARRY and JOHN are about to do some surveying. Workers, including TIGER are digging and clearing the land nearby …” (Selvon, 41).
SETTING
- Site of the road.
- Urmilla and Tiger’s hut.
SUMMARY
Pages 41-47: John tells Larry not to trust anyone with the theodolite, then Larry calls Tiger over and tells him to take care of it. Tiger consents but asks to eat first; then the Americans state their desire to eat native food, but they do not trust the cook shops. Tiger then invites the Americans to eat at his home and taste his wife’s cooking. They agree and offer him money for the meal, which he rejects. Urmilla urgently calls Rita the next day. She tells her that Tiger came home drunk last night because he got a promotion. He is now responsible for surveying; he goes ahead of the work gangs and plans the next stage of the road, but she is not sure if he has received a pay increase. Her concern is that the Americans are coming to dinner, and Tiger charged her to cook dhal pourri, meetai, fry channa, and chicken. She is also to ensure that she and the baby look good, so she had to go to San Juan to shop.
Rita is astonished that he is inviting people to dine in the unfurnished mud hut, and states that Joe is not happy about her lending out their belongings, especially since the discussion about them being Creole was brought up by Boysie. She agrees to help her, though, and invites Urmilla to her bedroom to try on her clothes. In the bedroom, Urmilla models a dress and shoes, which she puts on incorrectly because it is her first time wearing high heels, and Rita puts some lipstick on her. She then puts makeup on Urmilla, even plucking her eyebrows, with Urmilla protesting that Tiger might not like it and that Indians have their own traditions.
Tiger is upset upon entering his hut when he sees borrowed electricity and furniture. He is upset because he knows that the Americans are politely hiding their disappointment because they were hoping for an ‘authentic’ experience. He gets his guests settled and goes to find Urmilla in the kitchen, where he angrily asks her why she borrowed things and is looking like a whore. John interrupts them by entering the kitchen and requesting a drink. He leaves, and Tiger tells her that she should have gotten Trinidad rum instead of getting the beat that Tall Boy had, and that they will talk after because the Americans did not visit him for a show, but an authentic experience. The guests invite Urmilla to drink with them, but she scuttles to the kitchen because Tiger says that is where she belongs. They ask, twice, if there is room for Urmilla, and Tiger tells them that she will eat in the kitchen the first time, and ignores their query the second time. He bossily tells Urmilla to bring out the food and reprimands her for calling the food by Indian names.
Pages 41-47: John tells Larry not to trust anyone with the theodolite, then Larry calls Tiger over and tells him to take care of it. Tiger consents but asks to eat first; then the Americans state their desire to eat native food, but they do not trust the cook shops. Tiger then invites the Americans to eat at his home and taste his wife’s cooking. They agree and offer him money for the meal, which he rejects. Urmilla urgently calls Rita the next day. She tells her that Tiger came home drunk last night because he got a promotion. He is now responsible for surveying; he goes ahead of the work gangs and plans the next stage of the road, but she is not sure if he has received a pay increase. Her concern is that the Americans are coming to dinner, and Tiger charged her to cook dhal pourri, meetai, fry channa, and chicken. She is also to ensure that she and the baby look good, so she had to go to San Juan to shop.
Rita is astonished that he is inviting people to dine in the unfurnished mud hut, and states that Joe is not happy about her lending out their belongings, especially since the discussion about them being Creole was brought up by Boysie. She agrees to help her, though, and invites Urmilla to her bedroom to try on her clothes. In the bedroom, Urmilla models a dress and shoes, which she puts on incorrectly because it is her first time wearing high heels, and Rita puts some lipstick on her. She then puts makeup on Urmilla, even plucking her eyebrows, with Urmilla protesting that Tiger might not like it and that Indians have their own traditions.
Tiger is upset upon entering his hut when he sees borrowed electricity and furniture. He is upset because he knows that the Americans are politely hiding their disappointment because they were hoping for an ‘authentic’ experience. He gets his guests settled and goes to find Urmilla in the kitchen, where he angrily asks her why she borrowed things and is looking like a whore. John interrupts them by entering the kitchen and requesting a drink. He leaves, and Tiger tells her that she should have gotten Trinidad rum instead of getting the beat that Tall Boy had, and that they will talk after because the Americans did not visit him for a show, but an authentic experience. The guests invite Urmilla to drink with them, but she scuttles to the kitchen because Tiger says that is where she belongs. They ask, twice, if there is room for Urmilla, and Tiger tells them that she will eat in the kitchen the first time, and ignores their query the second time. He bossily tells Urmilla to bring out the food and reprimands her for calling the food by Indian names.
QUESTIONS
- What did Urmilla buy in preparation for the dinner with the Americans?
- What did Urmilla borrow from Rita in preparation for the dinner with the Americans?
- How did Tiger react to Urmilla’s interpretation/ preparation for the dinner?
- How did Tiger react to Urmilla’s makeup?
- How did Tiger treat Urmilla while his guests were present? Provide examples.
- Why were the Americans disappointed when they saw the bungalow?
CHARACTERIZATION
Tiger
Tiger is a chauvinist. His chauvinism is seen in how he treats his wife when the Americans come to lunch. He tells the Americans that she belongs in the kitchen and tells her to stay there, so she is not allowed to associate with the guests. He also tells her that she looks like a ‘blooming whore!” (Selvon, 44), when he sees her wearing makeup. A chauvinist is a male who believes that he is better than females, and Tiger believes that he is better than his wife. If he thought of her as his equal, he would have respected her enough to allow her to meet and eat with his bosses and, even if he did not like her makeup, he would have found a more respectful way to express his dislike.
Urmilla
Urmilla is submissive. It is this submissive nature that has her frantic to please her husband. She goes shopping and even borrows items to give him her interpretation of a successful lunch with his bosses. Wanting to please her husband is not what makes her submissive; it is the frantic way that she goes about it, which highlights an edge of desperation on her part; it implies that she believes that she must please him.
Rita
Rita is a good friend. Despite the fact that Joe does not want her lending their things to Tiger, who he is on the outs with, she does so because she sees a young girl who is trying to be a good wife, so she helps her. She even ensures that Urmilla looks good to represent her husband.
Tiger is a chauvinist. His chauvinism is seen in how he treats his wife when the Americans come to lunch. He tells the Americans that she belongs in the kitchen and tells her to stay there, so she is not allowed to associate with the guests. He also tells her that she looks like a ‘blooming whore!” (Selvon, 44), when he sees her wearing makeup. A chauvinist is a male who believes that he is better than females, and Tiger believes that he is better than his wife. If he thought of her as his equal, he would have respected her enough to allow her to meet and eat with his bosses and, even if he did not like her makeup, he would have found a more respectful way to express his dislike.
Urmilla
Urmilla is submissive. It is this submissive nature that has her frantic to please her husband. She goes shopping and even borrows items to give him her interpretation of a successful lunch with his bosses. Wanting to please her husband is not what makes her submissive; it is the frantic way that she goes about it, which highlights an edge of desperation on her part; it implies that she believes that she must please him.
Rita
Rita is a good friend. Despite the fact that Joe does not want her lending their things to Tiger, who he is on the outs with, she does so because she sees a young girl who is trying to be a good wife, so she helps her. She even ensures that Urmilla looks good to represent her husband.
TECHNIQUE
Irony
Irony is seen in the fact that Urmilla does so much to ensure that her husband is represented well; she prepares the home with borrowed light and furnishings and even tries to fix herself, all in an attempt to raise her husband. She wants him to be seen as equal to these white men that he is bringing home for lunch. Tiger, however, does not appreciate her efforts. He wants them to see his unfurnished mud hut because he knows that is what they expect. When John sees the bungalow, he is disappointed, and he expresses that he wants lamps or candles when he sees that they have electricity. So, when Tiger tells Urmilla that he is not presenting a show for the Americans, he is wrong. He is presenting, or wants to present, a show of the poverty that the Americans expect, not the show of equality and respectability that she tried to produce for him.
Irony is seen in the fact that Urmilla does so much to ensure that her husband is represented well; she prepares the home with borrowed light and furnishings and even tries to fix herself, all in an attempt to raise her husband. She wants him to be seen as equal to these white men that he is bringing home for lunch. Tiger, however, does not appreciate her efforts. He wants them to see his unfurnished mud hut because he knows that is what they expect. When John sees the bungalow, he is disappointed, and he expresses that he wants lamps or candles when he sees that they have electricity. So, when Tiger tells Urmilla that he is not presenting a show for the Americans, he is wrong. He is presenting, or wants to present, a show of the poverty that the Americans expect, not the show of equality and respectability that she tried to produce for him.
CONFLICT
Man versus man is seen when Tiger fights with Urmilla. They fight over the fact that, in Tiger’s eyes, she has done too much, thereby compromising the authentic lunch experience that he wanted for his bosses.
THEME
Treatment of Women
The theme, the treatment of women, is seen in Tiger’s reaction to his wife’s preparations for lunch. He treats her like a servant, and a bad servant too. She has not met his expectations, which seem to have been to have his bosses sitting on the dirt floor of his mud hut and eating with their hands, with candlelight. He curses her and calls her a whore for trying to look good because she is representing him, and he relegates her to the kitchen, not allowing her to associate with his bosses. Tiger does not respect Urmilla.
The theme, the treatment of women, is seen in Tiger’s reaction to his wife’s preparations for lunch. He treats her like a servant, and a bad servant too. She has not met his expectations, which seem to have been to have his bosses sitting on the dirt floor of his mud hut and eating with their hands, with candlelight. He curses her and calls her a whore for trying to look good because she is representing him, and he relegates her to the kitchen, not allowing her to associate with his bosses. Tiger does not respect Urmilla.
Contributor: Leisa Samuels-Thomas
Seovon, S. Highway in the Sun. Peepal Tree Press, Great Britain, 1991.
Seovon, S. Highway in the Sun. Peepal Tree Press, Great Britain, 1991.
